Mexican Soup with Chicken and Vegetables

Name: Mexican Soup with Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (or add a shredded rotisserie chicken at the end instead); 4 cups liquid chicken stock (or use vegetable stock if preferred); 1 brown onion (chopped); 2 carrots (finely diced); 2 celery stalks (diced); 1-2 potatoes (finely diced); 1 cup corn kernels (frozen); 4 garlic cloves (chopped); 1/2 tbsp dried oregano; 1 1/2 cups black beans ((1 can)); 1 1/2 cups diced canned tomatoes (1 x 400g can); 1 tbsp tomato paste (heaped); 1 tsp dried chilli (or, to taste); 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika; 1 1/2 tsp cumin (ground); juice of 1/2 a lime (juice of half a lime); sour cream; chopped avocado; fresh coriander ((cilantro)); tasty cheese (grated); tortilla strips (tortilla chips, crumbled); lime wedges; guacamole; jalapenos

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This bright Mexican soup with chicken and vegetables makes a heart-warming meal that is full of typical Mexican spices and flavours like lime, corn and black beans. Cook it on the stovetop, or use your slow cooker or pressure cooker for a set-and-forget meal that the whole family will love!

top view of a bowl of soup laid out on a table with tortilla chips, lime and coriander

Why you’ll love this recipe

Quick and easy. This is one of the simplest, most delicious soups you can make. Just one pot. Ready in less than 20 minutes. And most of that is hands-off time!
Use a rotisserie chicken for an even faster dinner.
Super comforting. Serve it with crunchy tortilla chips, sour cream and your favourite Mexican sides for a simple, complete and satisfying family meal.
Healthy. Packed with chunky vegetables, protein and fiber-packed black beans and chicken, it makes a nutritious and filling lunch or dinner.
Freezer friendly. This soup stores and re-heats beautifully and tastes even better the next day. And it can be prepped ahead for a quick dinner on a busy weekday.
Slow cook, stovetop or pressure cook. Pick your favourite. I’ve included methods for all below!

Ingredients you will need

all ingredients for Mexican chicken soup laid out on a table

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

Chicken breast. The chicken is poached in a Mexican flavoured broth and is shredded and re-added at the end. Alternatively, a rotisserie/BBQ chicken from your local supermarket makes an easy shortcut if you are short on time. Just toss it through the soup at the end.
Canned tomatoes. Roasted canned tomatoes add a lovely, smoky flavour to the soup, but regular diced tomatoes work too.
Veggies. I use celery, carrot, potatoes, onion and corn, diced for a chunky vegetable soup. But feel free to use whatever fresh or frozen Mexican style vegetables that you have on hand.
Mexican spices. A mix of cumin, sweet paprika and oregano are added to season the broth.
Cayenne/chilli is optional, for a little heat. Feel free to omit them for a milder flavour.
Lime. Fresh lime juice is added to the soup, but I also recommend serving extra lime wedges on the side.

Step by step guide

Stovetop instructions;

1. Slice the chicken breasts into thirds so that they cook through in less time. Place the chicken, diced vegetables and all of the ingredients together in a large pot. Simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

diced vegetables and soup ingredients in a large pot.

2. Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the broth and shred them using two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back through the soup and serve with your choice of toppings.

shredded chicken breast in a white bowl.

shredded chicken added to red soup in a large pot.

Slow/pressure cooker instructions;

This is a soup that is perfect for slow cooking. Just put everything (including the chicken pieces) into the bowl of your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. For the pressure cooker, select the ‘soup’ setting or cook on manual for 15 minutes.

The chicken breast will be tender and ready for shredding. To finish it off, just shred the chicken, toss it back through and serve!

all ingredients for Mexican chicken soup in a slow cooker bowl

finished soup with shredded chicken in a slow cooker bowl

Full ingredient list and instructions are found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

The chicken breast is poached in the broth as it cooks, but can be substituted for some shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken like this air-fryer version, to save time. If you do use chicken that is already cooked, add it at the end to warm through rather than adding it at the start, to prevent it from over-cooking.
Need it vegetarian? Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and omit the chicken breast for Mexican vegetable soup.
This is a soup that can be cooked on the stovetop in around 15 minutes. But it can also be cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot/pressure cooker. Cooking it this way lets the chicken become fall-apart tender and ready for shredding. Just set it aside and let your cooker do all of the work! After shredding the chicken, nothing else is required except adding your favourite toppings.
To make it smokier, add a little smoky paprika to taste (around ½-1 tsp) or Chipotle powder.

Extra topping ideas

This soup makes a complete meal on its own, but can also be served with a selection of your favourite garnishes. Choose from the list below, or add your own!

Toasted tortilla strips
Crumbled, salted tortilla chips
Diced avocado
Chopped coriander/cilantro
Sour cream
Shredded cheese like cotija, Manchego, Monterey Jack or tasty cheddar.
Jalapenos
Guacamole

FAQs

Is tortilla soup vegan?

While tortilla soups often include chicken broth and shredded chicken, some easy substitutions can be made to make this dish vegan or vegetarian. Leave out the chicken and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Top with crunchy chips and your choice of vegan toppings.

What should I serve with Mexican soup?

Aside from the suggested toppings like crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and avocado, you can also serve this soup with your favourite Mexican foods like beef tacos, burritos, quesadillas, Mexican rice, chips and guacamole or roasted corn.

What is the proper way to store soup?

This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow it to cool completely before adding it to the fridge and store it in a good quality, airtight container with a tight fitting lid. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months (soup only, no toppings).

a bowl of finished soup surrounded by Mexican foods

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in June 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in July 2021.

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